


What Comes Next?

by Rei_the_Rat



Category: One Piece
Genre: Gen, I tried to fix it but it sounded off to me, but it should be clear who is thinking what, it's just happens the one time I think, not made super obvious but KidKiller and LawLu if you squint, perspective changes between Kid and Luffy, some spoilers for chapter 949, warning change of tense present to past, written in response to feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-07-24 00:17:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20017138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rei_the_Rat/pseuds/Rei_the_Rat
Summary: Luffy goes to talk to Kid after the victory in Udon.





	What Comes Next?

There's an empty void, like the heart has left the body, and you can't breathe, you can't think, but a million thoughts are streaming through you and your nerves quake with the demand to do something, anything, but you don't know what and fear that no matter what you do, nothing will work and you'll lose everything.

And even after it passes, there's a lingering gnawing at your soul.

You've failed. You're weak.

Kid sits far away from the other inhabitants of Udon, in a small little area where he can let Killer sleep without worry of the noise waking him up. He cradles his wounded friend in his arm, resting his weight against his left leg, bent at the knee with the right folded under them.

He can't think through the pain, part of him doesn't want to. His first response is always anger but he can't resort to that this time. Killer is more important, and he needs to rest and recover. Then he can get answers.

Out of the corner of his eye he sees Straw Hat, recovered from the plague infection, watching him, observing. He's hesitant, but not really hovering. After a moment, he seems to nod to himself and walk over to Kid.

Luffy knows empathy isn't what every person wants. But he can't help the yank in his heart when he sees Kid and his friend. The raw scratch in Kid's voice as he called out to Killer, the anger and desperation. The sinking feeling of having someone you love torn away right before your eyes and you're powerless to stop it.

As he nears Kid, he feels a strange shift in the air around him, a tension that has a physical consequence. Shackles and discarded bullets shake; broken bars to cell doors tremble and rise. Luffy meets Kid's angry red eyes but continues forward.

"I'm not here to fight." He doesn't know if Kid will believe that. But he sees, and feels the tension die away just as quickly as it sprang to life.

"You should let that ninja know we're not friends." Kid's voice is low with a growl like an injured wolf.

"Yeah," Luffy shrugs. "But we're not enemies either. Not right now anyway."

He settles down behind Kid, back to back, and leans carefully into him. They're silent, heart beats refusing to beat in time with each other, Killer's calm breathing the only source of comfort Kid can find in this mess.

"I'm not sick anymore." Luffy says suddenly. He gets an annoyed huff from Kid. "Chopper took care of it quick. He's really good." A smile pulls at his lips. "You should let him look at your friend." Luffy's voice dips in sadness. He thinks of all the people who've been afflicted with Smile. How angry Chopper and Momo were when they heard. "No one deserves that."

"Tch, I don't need your pity Straw Hat."

There's a bite in Kid's tone that Luffy recognizes a little too easily. Kid's anger always felt familiar to him, but he doesn't know from where. He hums. What was it? 

"It's not pity. I know you're strong. I wouldn't have gotten this far without help." A frown twists at his lips. He thinks of Ace, so long ago, angry and refusing anyone's help or comfort. Except from one person. One person Ace knew he could trust with his heart. He thinks of how often Ace pushed him away, how he left every day to go be with Sabo and not be alone.

Luffy bit his lip. Was it the same for Kid? Luffy knew he needed help, and was humbled in ways Kid didn't seem to be.

"It's ok to need help." Luffy pressed back against him again.

"No one wants us." Kid's voice was quiet now. Luffy wasn't sure if Kid was even talking to him. "That's why we live the way we do."

"I know." The freedom of the sea welcomed the unwanted.

"Sure you do, you are a pirate." Kid moved with Luffy when he leaned in again, pressing his forehead to Killer's and closing his eyes for a moment. Luffy felt so small against his back, his head resting between his shoulder blades. He opened his eyes and looked down at Killer, the shadows under his eyes and neutral draw of his lips. He could almost pretend they were back home on the ship, and he'd just caught Killer in a nap.

"A pirate who wastes his time helping everyone he stumbles across." Kid added at the end. He could feel Luffy stiffen with his words. It was the sort of comment he'd stabbed someone for.

"Not everyone." Luffy grumbled. He eased the tension in his shoulders. "I help who I want."

"Oh really? Should I be honored?"

Luffy huffed. "Be whatever you want. Preferably alive."

"Why do you care?"

"I don't know. You're fun to fight with, so I'm glad we're rivals. We need to both keep sailing so we can reach the One Piece."

"So you just want to keep me alive for entertainment down the line?"

"What? No-" Luffy was cut off by Kid chuckling. His head bumped against Luffy's as he leaned back. Luffy looked up and saw the bright red hair. It made him think a little of Shanks. But Kid didn’t remind him of Shanks. Kid made him think of himself and an angry Ace from before they were brothers. "That's not what I meant." Luffy lightly elbowed him. "What's so funny?"

"Ha, you're more likely to win over my favor with that attitude. Keep at it." Kid stared at the ceiling. "I don't like idea of owing you."

"Then just help us fight Kaidou. You want to do that too, right?" Luffy suddenly sat up a little straighter. "We can be in an alliance!"

"Ah, no… Last alliance I was in didn't end well."

Luffy's shoulders slumped. He recalled the paper saying Hawkins and Apoo had joined with Kid. But Hawkins was with Kaidou now. They didn't sound like very good friends. "I won't betray you like that. It'll just be to fight Kaidou. Then we go our separate ways."

"What about Trafalgar?"

"What about Torao?"

"Shouldn't you clear this with him first?"

"He won't mind."

"I doubt it. The two of us don't exactly get along."

"You don't have to get along. Just enough to work together, I guess."

Kid was silent for a while before he pushed off of Luffy and leaned over Killer. "I don't know." It's barely a whisper. "Thinking isn't my deal."

Luffy could get that. It's not his either. "Ok, is there someone you need to talk to about it?" He felt a shudder run through Kid but didn't get a response. "Kid?" He looked over his shoulder. Killer was still asleep against Kid, peaceful and oblivious to his friend's turmoil. Luffy recalled him snapping at Kid when they were Sabaody, similar to how Law got after him…

"Let Chopper heal him. Then we can talk."  


"I don't have a choice, do I?" There was a slip in Kid's tone, strained by the want to be angry and the need to maybe cry but refusal in letting either out.

Luffy felt Kid take in a deep breath, the swell of the inhale and how he straightened as he held it. When breathed out, there was a still calmness about it. "Killer would tell me to stop being foolish. You're offering two things I want."

"Then listen to him and stop being foolish."

Kid's hold around Killer tightened a little. Again, what choice did he have? It was like standing at the edge of a cliff while the ground beneath you gave way. The lurch around your heart as the all consuming ocean reach up to greet you.

The gnawing at your soul ever present…

You failed. Now live with it.

Killer shifted in his sleep, loosely gripping Kid's coat to pull it closer. He ran his hand through Killer's hair, carefully pulling at the tangles. Even in sleep he managed to keep Kid grounded.

"This may end badly for you." Kid pressed back against Luffy. "I won't hesitate to kill you."

Luffy shrugged. "You can try. You're a funny guy, Kid." There was a smile in his voice. He was pushed forward as Kid leaned back more, the rumble of laughter shaking through his chest quietly.

"And you're a weird one, Luffy." Kid looked up at the ceiling. "Fine. But don't you dare waste my time."

"You too." Luffy pushed back roughly so they were even again. Which was what they needed, what Kid needed. Equal footing and chance. And despite what Kid said, Luffy was still excited to have for their fights to come, together and against each other.

**Author's Note:**

> I have conflicting feelings about this fic, between it being a mess but still satisfying for me. Hopefully, ya'll enjoy it a little too. I wrote most of it the day after reading 949, then spent the rest of the week trying to come up with the last couple hundred words to end it.  
> Thanks so much to [Shishiswordsman](https://twitter.com/shishiswordsman) for helping me out with fic, you can check out their awesome work [here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shishiswordsman)  
> Thanks for reading, let me know what you thought,  
> [Rat](https://twitter.com/rei_the_rat)


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